Stephanie Morrison knows the value of being out in nature and keeping things simple. It makes sense, then, that her plot as an Incubator Farmer at the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle Teaching Farm is called “Simple Living Farm.” This fall, she’s growing broccoli, cabbage, garlic, onions, and a lot of winter greens including kale and collards
Stephanie originally started growing with a home garden composed of two raised beds, but says “it’s one of those things -- you just get addicted to it!”
She wanted to expand her growing operations, but lacked space at her house. So she began farming with the Incubator program at the PLANT @ Breeze Farm, but when IFFS’s program opened up, she decided to switch. Now, she can farm just 10 minutes away from where she lives, instead of commuting an hour away.
Stephanie and her husband are currently looking for land, and she says being part of the Incubator Farm has been helpful with that process in terms of knowing how much land to look for and how much they can actually handle.
She is currently working full-time with the Autism Society at a residential home in addition to her farming work, so it can be a difficult balance at time, but she hopes to eventually transition to full-time farming.
“After a day you just come out here and relax,” she says, while separating garlic cloves to plant. She enjoys coming from work to the farm -- out from the office and the daily grind into nature. She works the 3rd shift, so her after-work days are often actually mornings.
If you sign up for the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle Teaching Farm’s CSA this winter, you’ll likely be getting some of Stephanie’s produce. By utilizing IFFS’s already existing connections, Incubator Farmers connect to markets, and Stephanie hopes to sell at farmers markets in the spring.
Stephanie says she’s thankful to be farming at the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle Teaching Farm.
“My experience here has been very good – Sun and Kay are so helpful. It really does help a new farmer who has some knowledge, but not a lot, to get started. With family farms, you learned how to farm on the farm, with others – so the Incubator Farm Program helps people who want to farm but don’t know how to actually put it all together.”
She also bounces ideas around with our farm managers and the other Incubator Farmers. “It’s great to have that network. We’re all learning, so we all figure it out together.”
You can follow Stephanie's farming adventures at SimpleLivingFarm.com!
The IFFS Incubator Farm Program supports and grows new viable, independent farm businesses and aims to serve as a model new-farmer program. What does training new farmers have to do with hunger relief? More local farmers mean more local food! The knowledge of how to grow food is an important step toward developing a locally-owned food system that builds self-sufficiency and community power. The more we understand about growing and preparing food, the healthier we are.
You can help support our agricultural training programs by donating today, or help sustain them year-round by becoming a monthly Ground-Level Giver! Or want to get your hands in the dirt, connect to where your food comes from, and help grow wholesome produce? Volunteer on our Teaching Farm!